Harry Potter and the Meleager Potion
by Senda Rozalija
Summary: During his search for the horcruxes, Harry is hit with an unknown potion, that could threaten his life. one-shot hp/gw


**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

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**Harry Potter and the ****Meleager Potion**

_Wednesday, 31 July, 1996_

A sudden flash of green flames and a cloud of dark grey ashes exploding out from the fireplace was the starting signal for an equally explosive outcry.

"He's here, he's here! Oh god, he's finally here!" Ginny Weasley exclaimed, as she propelled herself out of the chair she had been sitting in for the last three hours and flung herself on top of the figure that had just sprawled from the kitchen fireplace directly onto the floor. Harry Potter grinned broadly as he clutched her to him.

"I missed you too, Gin." he whispered, and she held on to him as if her life depended on it.

"Harry!" a different, yet familiar voice, called out. Harry looked up and saw Ron enter the kitchen at full speed, followed closely by Hermione and apparently the entire Weasley family, save for Percy and Mr. Weasley. Ron collided with the kitchen table, as in his excitement he temporarily forgot how to break. Hermione sighed and turned to Harry instead, or rather, the Harry-Ginny heap that still lay on the floor.

"Please Ginny; let the poor boy get up! Harry dear, please sit down, would you like some tea? Toast? Eggs?" That was Mrs. Weasley, Harry thought with a smile, always the caring mother. He tried to get up, not an easy feat when pinned down by Ginny, who was just speechless and shaking. Eventually Fred and George had to come over and hoist the pair of them of the ground.

"All right there, Harry? I say, you look just dandy as always!" said Fred.

"I agree, only you could pull off the Ginny-suit, Harry!" George added, as he tried to pry Ginny off of him. She shook her head sharply and finally spoke again.

"No, I'm not letting him go again! Harry, why did you have to go out there alone! Now look what happened to you!" she said, then suddenly covered her mouth with one hand, the other still attached to Harry. Tears formed in her eyes. "Oh Harry, what are we going to do?" she squeaked from behind her hand.  
Harry took her hand and squeezed it, a sad smile briefly crossing his face.

"We'll think of something, Ginny, we always do." He said, as he looked over her shoulder and locked eyes with Ron and Hermione in turn, who both gave him a nod, while looking paler than ever.  
Harry sat down at the kitchen table, Ginny immediately sitting in his lap. Without discussion Mrs. Weasley put down a large mug on steaming tea in front of him, and he nodded his thanks. He looked around at everyone and met their gazes of pity. He'd expected it, but he still had to swallow before he could speak.

"What happened, Harry?" Bill asked carefully. The whole table went silent as they waited for his words. Harry sighed.

"It's a potion. I'm certain it must be Snape's work, only he would be able to come up with something so cruel..." Everyone grunted in agreement, sour looks on their faces, no doubt the result of him mentioning Snape's name. He continued.

"Can you believe there is one right under our noses? Right there in the Ministry?" Harry growled.

"What do mean Harry? You don't mean…"

"Yes! A bloody horcrux in the Ministry!" he yelled, making Hermione and Mrs. Weasley flinch synchronously. "It's the chair, the one down in the main Wizengamot courtroom. Oh how would Voldemort ever…" He paused, expecting people to gasp at the name, but nobody did. "How would he ever get down there to perform the ritual? Well it was easier for him when he was still Tom Riddle, goody schoolboy writing an essay. Its one of the first he made anyway, after the diary…" He leaned around Ginny to sip at his tea, before going on. "Anyway, I was on my way there when I ran into Malfoy, that slimy git."

"What did you do to him?" Ron asked eagerly, leaning forward across the table. "Did you make him pay for what he did?" He said, with a fierceness flashing behind his eyes. Harry shook his head sadly, and Ron's face fell.

"There was no chance; I didn't know it was him at first, polyjuice of course. He only told me right before he escaped. He knew just the thing that would get me to drop my guard. Prof…I mean, Remus; he was disguised as Remus and gave me a piece of chocolate. Such a simple gesture and I fell for it. I know not to take food from others, and I did anyway!" his eyes where filling with tears now and he wiped at them impatiently. Ginny held him tighter and tried to comfort him as much as herself.

Harry stared at Bill's dragon tooth earring. It helped him go on telling, without having to look anyone in the eye. He thought he might just break down completely if he did now.

"I had barely taken a bite, a strange feeling coming over me making me unable to resist not to, when he started laughing. That's when I knew. I recognise that git's laugh anywhere. And he _smirked_!" he said with a repulsed look on his face. "He smirked with Lupin's face! And then he told me, that he was going to enjoy watching 'this new masterpiece at work' as he put it. He muttered something though, just before he left." Harry looked puzzled.

"That is, he said: 'why he called it the Meleager Potion beats me, why not just…', but then he Disapparated. I was too stunned to stop him!"

The twins had gone white and quiet, a very rare occurrence, and just stared. Bill had been holding his breath and let it gush out.

"Meleager…sounds familiar somehow. Charlie?" Charlie shook his head. Mrs. Weasley just looked more and more as if she would faint, and got up.

"More tea anyone?' she said as she busied herself with the kettle, not bothering with her wand.

"Don't worry Harry, we'll figure it out! Right Hermione?" Ron said, turning to Hermione. "Bloody hell, where did she disappear too!" he said, throwing up his arms, as he stared at the empty seat beside him.

"She keeps doing that." Ginny said, taking her head of Harry's shoulder to look at Ron. Ron gave an irritated shrug and got up from the table.

_Pop!_

He hadn't gotten two steps from his seat when Hermione burst into the space in front of him.

"Ah! Don't do that!" he shrieked at her. But Hermione ignored him and threw a large book on the table in front of her. Harry glanced at the title just before she threw it open and started turning pages. _A Magical History of Ancient Greece_ it read.

"I knew Meleager sounded familiar" she said, sweat breaking out of her forehead, "and I realised I read about it in this book." Ron managed to roll his eyes, as if to say 'of course you have' but quickly stopped when he remembered their current predicament. Hermione read:

"It says here that when Meleager was only seven days old, the Moerae appeared, the three sisters of fate, and declared that he should die when the branch burning on the hearth was burnt out. Clotho said that he would be noble and Lachesis that he would be brave, but Atropus looked at the branch burning on the hearth and declared: '_He will live only as long as this branch remains unconsumed._'

"On hearing that, Meleager's mother took up the branch and put it into a chest, but many years later this same branch was set afire again and Meleager died."

She looked up with big eyes and burst into tears. Harry swallowed, having known right away that it couldn't mean much good to be fed a potion by Malfoy of all people. But this sounded even more dangerous than he'd dare imagine.  
Ginny made an odd noise and buried her face in his shoulder. Harry cleared his throat.

"W-what does it mean exactly?" he whispered, trying to find his voice, but it was no good. Hermione caught her breath and glanced around at the others. Every one of them was staring down at their hands, not daring to say anything.

"It-it means, that…that there must be a branch somewhere, and t-the potion must tie you to it."

Hermione choked out. "Don't worry we'll find it!" she hastily added, and sagged down on her chair. Ron put his hand on her shoulder, not knowing what to say.  
For a while the only sound came from the Weasley's special clock that showed the family members position such as "At work" or "Travelling". The signs belonging to Percy and Mr. Weasley, who were on duty at the Ministry, now and then shifted around with a tiny creak. Harry, who was considered family for years now, had his sign there too, and it was currently pointing to "Mortal Peril". Mrs Weasley had been staring at it for a while, when she suddenly stormed out of the kitchen. Charlie in pursuit, mumbling something that sounded like "_I'll go_" as he passed around the table.

* * * * *

When Charlie and Mrs. Weasley returned, they looked different somehow. A scowl portrayed on their face, and a certain confidence despite the traces of red around Mrs. Weasley's eyes from crying.

"We fire called dad," Charlie explained, "and according to him, they've been tracking Snape for weeks now, and I'm sure if anyone can trace him it's you Harry." He said with a slight smile. Harry looked puzzled.

"Me?"

"Of course, look how you tracked down those horcruxes!"

"But that took most of the school year, with Dumbledore's help even! How am I going to find someone who can move about whenever he pleases, instead of staying in one place, like the horcruxes?" Harry gestured wildly with his arms, nearly throwing Ginny to the floor.

"Harry!" she yelped. He steadied her with a blush on his face. He couldn't get used to her sitting _this_ close. Not that he wanted her to sit somewhere else of course. "Harry, you tracked down the last one all on your own, you can do this." Ginny said, locking eyes with his.

"And we'll come with you this time, Harry." Ron said.

"No, Ron, you…"

"Harry!" Hermione cut him off. "We're coming with you, whether you like it or not. We can't let you do this alone, not this time."

Harry had learned over the years not to argue with her when she used that tone of voice, and nodded reluctantly. He looked down at Ginny, who was already opening her mouth.

"I suppose you're coming too?" he asked.

She closed her mouth and nodded, the firm look still in her eyes.

"Then it's settled, we'll teach that foul piece of..."

"Ron!"

"Sorry mum." Ron was the one blushing this time. "I mean, we'll get him Harry, and find out how to undo…whatever he did to you."

"As long as you will all have breakfast first! No use running around on an empty stomach." Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, knowing from the determination they showed that there was no changing their minds. Making them atleast stay for breakfast was all she could think off. And sending Bill and Charlie along of course, she thought, as she turned towards the stove and waved her wand to make eggs fly out of the cupboard and into the frying pan.

"Agreed! And besides Harry, it's your birthday for heaven's sake!" George crowed.

"This calls for a party!" Fred added, starting to conjure cake and butterbeers, completely ignoring his mother's attempts to replace them with the breakfast she was preparing. George even pulled a present from behind his back and tossed it towards Harry.

"Happy birthday, mate!"

Harry smiled, if there was anyone who could take your mind of things, it was Fred and George. And if not, they sure did try.

* * * * *

_Wednesday, 9 August, 1996_

Harry stood inside the small cottage, he could have sworn it looked quite a bit bigger from the outside. Didn't wizards usually make it seen bigger on the _inside_? Unless it really is bigger on the inside, Harry thought. Maybe there are some hidden rooms, he wondered as he approached one of the many bookcases.

"Did you find one?" Hermione asked from the other side of the room, standing near a different bookcase.

"What?" he replied.

"A secret entrance! Did you find one?" she said, sounding exasperated as if talking to a dim child. "Its kind of obvious don't you think? This place looks way to small otherwise."

"Well it wasn't so obvious to me." Ron murmured, coming up next to Harry. He started pulling books at random. "Nope, not this one, not this one either, nope…no…."  
"Ron." Harry said with a smile. Being occupied with finding Snape or a way to reverse the potion's effects, somehow kept his mind of what those effects actually were. "I thought you were the one raised around magic, the entrance is probably opened with a spell, right?" he laughed.  
"I knew that." Ron moped, already reaching for his wand. "_Alohomora_!"  
Nothing happened.

"Hmm, how about _Aperio Cistum_!" Harry said, and this time, a small crack appeared between the bookcase and the wall.

"Brilliant, Harry!" Ron said, before he grabbed the bookcase and started to pull. Hermione came over and gave him a hand. It slid slowly forward, revealing a dark staircase on one side, and a padlocked door on the other.

"Let's try the door first." Harry said, and aimed his wand to unlock it.

"Wait, Harry! Don't you think we should wait for Bill and Charlie to get here? There might be curses on the door or something!" Hermione said. It had been the six off them for the last nine days, but today Ginny had gotten burned by a clumsily misfired spell from Ron. Who was turning a bright shade of scarlet when remembering the reason Bill and Charlie weren't there. They had volunteered to drop Ginny off at home and return right away.

"Well, we we're supposed to wait outside as well, you didn't want to wait then!" Ron told her.

"Yes, but at least we could see in the windows to make sure the coast was clear. Who knows what's waiting for us behind that door? We'll be better off to wait for an experienced curse-breaker, right Harry?" She glared at Harry. Who got slightly uncomfortable, being in the middle here. But it was his live they were trying to save in the first place, and he felt they had to hurry it along a bit.

"Let's go in, I'm sure Snape wouldn't put curses on his own doors, he'd be spending all day removing curses and putting them back, when moving between rooms!" he said uncertainly.

Ron's _Alohomora_ worked this time and the padlock fell to the floor. He pushed it open and turned to Harry.

"Should I go first or, uh, do you want to?" he smiled weakly.

"That's okay Ron, I'll go." Harry said, and strode forward, wand out and lit with a non-verbal _Lumos_.  
A few steps past the door, he paused and looked around. The room was dank and smelled of old wax and herbs. Obviously, to Harry as much as to anyone else who knew the Hogwarts Potion Master, Snape _would_ have his very own potions lab at home. He probably spend night and day in here, working by candlelight to produce his more obscure potions, Harry thought.  
The only light in the room besides Harry's Lumos came from a lone candle in the far corner, appearing to float on some kind of liquid. Harry peered at it, but there just wasn't enough light to make out exactly what it was. He turned around, and found Ron and Hermione still standing in the doorway.

"It's alright guys, nobody's here." He said, motioning them inside with his free hand.

"Are you sure about that, _Potter_?" a familiar voice drawled, as a poke in Harry's neck alerted him of a wand tip being pressed there. Harry froze.

"Hello, _Malfoy_." He spat back, grinding his teeth, as he tried to get a view of him out of the corner of his eye. If only he could aim his wand just so…

"Oh don't even think about it Potter." Draco Malfoy said, taking a step forward into the light of Harry's spell. "And besides, I'm not going to hurt you…yet."

"That's right you're not!" Ron bellowed as he threw himself forward and collided with Malfoy, landing on top of him. Harry fell to the side and immediately aimed his wand at the struggling pair. Hermione came up beside him and did the same.

"Don't!" she squeaked at Harry, "You'll hit Ron!"

Harry was about to respond when another voice was added to the mess.

"Yes, please don't, Potter." A low, cold voice said.

Once again, Harry froze, and privately told himself to stop _doing_ that! Of course Snape was there too, he should have known, Harry thought as he glared up at the one who betrayed everyone Harry cared about.

"Snape!" he growled, and struggled to his feet.

"Careful now, Potter. Your clumsy attempt at getting up might only get you hurt even further. Some of the potions around here _are_ dangerous you know." Snape's icy voice chided him. Harry gave him his most malevolent glare he could muster, and raised his wand again.

"_Expelliarmus_!" Snape shot, before Harry could make a move. His wand landed of to the side with a clatter. "Really, Potter. It was written all over your face, I would have thought our last encounter had taught you something. I should have known you were still as pigheaded as ever when it came to learning your lesson." He smirked.

"Now let Malfoy go, Mr. Weasley."

Ron got up, and Malfoy shoved him hard against the shoulder before moving to stand next to Snape, who turned just enough to give him a disgusted look.

Harry saw his chance in a second and screamed, "NOW!" as he grabbed one of the lab's tables and toppled it over with the help of Ron and Hermione.  
Snape yelled as a couple dozen potions and jars of various ingredients spilled over him and Malfoy, the table pinning their legs down.  
Harry didn't stop to notice the number of peculiar effects the potions had on them, and strode to the far end of the room, where the candle floated on top of an off-white potion. A smell of chocolate drifted up from it.

"This is the one you gave me, isn't it!" he bellowed at Snape, and picked up his wand.

"Don't touch it, Harry! The flame must be tied to you somehow!" Hermione warned him, and she crouched over Snape. She pressed her own wand to his neck, which was already quite purple from one of the potions.

"How do we stop it?" she growled at him, while she fought back her tears once more.

"You don't." he sneered in return. "Only the one who made it can neutralize it. But don't worry, once the candle is burned out it will all be over."

"_Bombarda_!" Malfoy cried. He still had his wand, which was now pointing in the direction where Harry and the potion were.

Harry turned in shock, just as a loud explosion went off and he was thrown against the wall.  
Just before he blacked out, he saw more people enter the already cramped potions lab, and feared for Ron and Hermione's lives.

* * * * *

Everything was still black to Harry when he awoke, and started swinging his arms about, trying to get his bearings. He hit something soft with his hand and stopped.

"Ouch!" someone said, just before two candles flared to life beside the bed where he found himself. Ginny sat next to him, rubbing her head. She must have fallen asleep with her head on the mattress, which he in turn hit in his panic.

"Oh sorry, Ginny!" he gasped. "W-what happened? I thought…I thought the potion…"

"Harry, it's alright again!" Ginny said, as she shifted to sit on the side of the bed instead, better able to hug him. "Malfoy is so stupid. He destroyed the potion when he threw that Blasting Curse at you." She smiled. "You're free from it now!"

Harry looked puzzled. "But I thought that if the candle went out…"

"I know, Hermione told me. But it turned out that the potion only worked if the candle was burned out entirely, just like in Meleager's story. Bill and Charlie got there just in time to bind Malfoy and Snape. The Aurors got a confession out of Snape a few days ago about the potion and…you know, Dumbledore." She looked sad for a moment, before Harry looked at her puzzled again. Seeing that look on Harry's face actually made her smile again.

"A few days ago?" he asked, "how long have I been out?"

"A week, you're in Percy's old room now. Its all okay again." Ginny said, and hugged him ever closer. Harry sighed.

"There…" he cleared his throat, "there's still Voldemort."

He waited a few minutes before he felt Ginny nod. "I know, but this time I'm coming with you, Harry, I can't let you walk into such danger alone…I lo-" she choked and buried her head in his shoulder.

"I know." He said, and this time he _knew_ he needed his loved ones at his side, as he prepared for the final battle.

**THE END**


End file.
